Chapter Fifty Five: The Quiet Before the Storm
Chapter Fifty Five: The Quiet Before the Storm
POV: Freya
Freya awoke with a start, sunlight already stretching through the narrow slits of her chamber’s skylight, casting warm gold across the polished walls. Her heart pounded—not from a nightmare, but from purpose.
She sat up quickly, brushing tangled hair from her face. Today, she told herself. Today, I find out what Nerissa is hiding.
It wasn’t just a hunch anymore.
Too many missing pieces, too many odd absences, too many flickers of shadow when Nerissa was supposedly “just around the ship.” Freya couldn’t ignore it any longer.
She dressed fast—pulling on a fitted slate-blue tunic from the collection Axir had provided, cinching it with a belt, and slipping on comfortable boots. Her hair was tied up into a loose, messy ponytail. Practical. Determined.
She stepped out into the hallway with a clear plan: find Nerissa. Watch her. Follow her if needed.
But she was disappointed from the start.
Nowhere to be found.
Freya first checked the entertainment hall. Empty.
She peeked inside Nerissa’s chamber. Bed made, no signs of activity.
The mess hall? Only a few Zytherion warriors chatting over mugs of thick-root broth. Nerissa wasn’t among them.
A brief hope flickered—maybe Sirius or Archelix has seen her—and she made her way to the navigation console room where both usually worked during their shift cycles.
Sirius was reclined on a hovering seat, inspecting a screen. Archelix was pacing slowly near the command interface.
“Morning,” she greeted, trying to sound casual.
“Lady Freya,” Sirius nodded with his usual charm. “Need help with anything?”
“Actually… yes. Have either of you seen Nerissa today?”
Both paused.
Sirius tilted his head thoughtfully. “Not since last night. She didn’t report in this morning. Strange.”
Archelix frowned. “She wasn’t at the systems check either. That’s unlike her.”
Freya’s lips thinned. “So she’s just… gone?”
“I wouldn’t say gone,” Sirius said gently, “but definitely absent.”
Freya nodded tightly and forced a smile. “Alright. Thanks anyway.”
She left them before her thoughts could spiral in front of them.
Where could Nerissa have gone? And why so early—before even the crew fully stirred?
Freya began to wander aimlessly, checking every corner of the ship—places she normally avoided unless accompanied.
The tech bay. The observation dome. Even the hydroponics garden.
Still nothing.
Each unanswered corridor only added weight to the pit in her stomach.
She eventually circled back toward the command center, her heart low in her chest.
As she stepped in, Sirius looked up and offered a gentle smile. “Would you like to use the whisperlink again? Captain Axir asked earlier if you might try.”
A warmth broke through her heavy thoughts.
She nodded.
Sirius motioned to a far corner. “That terminal’s cleared for privacy.”
“Thanks,” she said, genuinely grateful.
She sat down, fingers hesitating over the activation pad. A few beeps later, the familiar soft buzz filled her ears—and then the screen flickered to life.
Axir’s face appeared—strong, regal, and beautiful even through the grainy light.
Her heart immediately lifted.
“Axir!” she blurted out before she could stop herself. “I missed you so much!”
Axir’s face broke into a rare smile, the kind that made her toes curl. “I ache for you, my Kaithera.”
That one word—Kaithera—so intimate and sacred in his tongue, never failed to make her pulse race.
“One more day,” he continued. “We’re doing all we can, but the core still eludes us.”
“You’ll find it,” Freya said confidently. “You’re you. You always do.”
His expression softened. “And how are you faring? Is Nerissa taking care of you? Are Archelix and Sirius keeping things in order?”
Freya bit her lower lip before replying. “Honestly? I’m… okay. The crew has been kind. Sirius is a gentle dork. Archelix keeps trying to explain things I don’t understand but I nod a lot, so he thinks I do.”
Axir chuckled.
“As for Nerissa…” she trailed off.
“What about her?”
Freya hesitated. “She’s… gone missing this morning. Not in a bad way, I hope. Just… no one’s seen her.”
Axir’s brow furrowed slightly. “That’s unlike her.”
“I know,” Freya said softly. “But maybe she just needed a breather. I’ll figure it out.”
There was a moment of silence, warm and grounding.
“I miss you,” Freya murmured again.
Axir’s eyes held hers through the screen. “And I, you. The moment we return to the ship, I’ll come straight to you.”
“That better not be a promise you break,” she teased.
“It is etched into my bones.”
Freya smiled.
“Oh,” Axir added, “Kehan is preparing a formal send-off dinner tonight. Some sort of Nimoan custom.”
“Sounds fancy.”
“It’s more pomp than purpose,” he muttered. “But we’ll attend.”
“You better look handsome while doing it.”
“I always do,” Axir said deadpan.
Freya laughed, and he smiled again, clearly pleased to hear her joy.
After a few more tender exchanges—soft jokes, stolen smiles, a brief discussion about the tea she hoarded back in her room—they finally said goodnight.
“I’ll see you soon, Kaithera.”
“Soon,” she promised.
The screen went dark.
Freya exhaled, leaning back in the seat, hand resting over her heart. She missed him terribly, but their brief connection renewed something inside her. A fragile string of hope.
She stood and walked toward the mess hall for a very late brunch.
By then, the dining area was quiet. Only two other warriors remained, quietly conversing in their dialect. She filled her tray with a selection of warmed bread twists and pink root jam, a soft cheese slab, and a steaming cup of dark-brewed tea—thank the stars Axir had stocked it for her.
She took her time.
The food helped. The tea calmed her thoughts.
Once done, she returned to her chamber.
The moment she stepped inside and shut the door behind her, the stillness returned.
It was too quiet.
Freya sat on the edge of her bed, letting the silence wrap around her like a heavy blanket.
She stared at the door.
If I can’t find Nerissa today… then I’ll do it tonight.
Her decision solidified in the quiet between heartbeats.
She would rest now. Conserve her energy. Let her instincts take over once night fell.
The promise she made to Axir whispered faintly in her mind, but she pushed it down. She didn’t want to lie to him—but if something was going on under his nose, wouldn’t he want her to act?
Nerissa is hiding something. And I need to know what.
With a deep breath, she climbed into bed, drew the blanket over her, and let her mind sink into uneasy rest.
Outside, the ship hummed softly.
But inside Freya’s mind, the questions grew louder.
Tomorrow, Axir would return.
But tonight?
She would find the truth.